Once and Only Forever
by Dixon and Salvatore
Summary: S/E An Engagement. D/E A Secret. A story of two brothers' fight for a girl they both love, and the consequences involved. Only days after Elena sleeps with Damon she is proposed to by Stefan. But just because she said yes doesn't mean things will go according to plan. Rated M for sexual content. You have been warned.


**A/N: This is a rewrite of the original chapter one. It's the same general idea, only a little tossed up. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Chapter One: Lonely Mistakes**

Their lips clashed in a dramatic battle for dominance. They both knew that what they were doing was wrong, that it would hurt someone they loved, but in that moment it no longer mattered. It was a desperate discordance of personalities, sweat and tongues forging through, trying to discover who would win. They only pulled apart long enough for Elena to suck in a ragged breath before crushing their lips back together.

Soon she found herself doing something that she had always wanted to do but had dreaded for so long. Her long slender fingers pulled at the button up shirt, undoing several of the small clasps at once. She possessed no doubt that he wanted this just as badly as she did, after all, Damon had made his feelings for her no secret. His eyes met hers when she tugged again, questioning her awareness. Instead of speaking she just tugged again. Finally the shirt was completely unbuttoned.

It only took a moment for the black material to be shed, and her fingers grazed over his toned body, shivers climbing her spine at the feel of it. Too many times had she seen him shirtless, too many times had she yearned to stretch out her fingers and touch him in every way imaginable! Now, finally, she was doing just that and she simply could not get enough. There was no way for her to stop.

"If we end up going further, just don't hope for too much. I can't be in a serious relationship with you." She stated the words long before she realized she was talking, and his eyes flooded momentarily with hurt, the blue clouding slightly, but they soon returned to a sexy, hunger filled gaze. It was the only sign of understanding she got, but it was all she needed. Again their lips collided in a heated frenzy. He was hers for the night, as was she his. The details could wait for the morning. All the kinks and quirks could be discussed then. Well, maybe not the kinks.

Her hands felt strange when she pulled them from his firm body, but she wanted more, and touching his chest and stomach was not going to satisfy her quickly rising need. Her fingers clumsily tugged at his belt; though she couldn't seem to figure out the device, he got the message loud and clear. While he quickly whipped off the offensive item, followed quickly by his jeans, she pulled her shirt over her head, and tugged her pants off. He could do the rest himself.

His eyes travelled over her body a good four times before he got a decisive look to him. As soon as they were both in their underwear he lifted her light figure from the ground. Her legs wrapped around his hips while he raced to his room. As gently as he could possibly manage he tossed her on his bed and climbed over her. His eyes searched her for any signs of doubt once more, but again there were none. She was positive that she wanted this.

"God, you are so beautiful." The words were barely a whisper, and she had to strain to hear him. Before he could manage more pleasantries she attached lips again, successfully silencing him. After all, this wasn't love making. It was pure, frantic sex. The excitement was palpable when he reached behind her and unclasped her bra. In a flash of movement her torso was left entirely exposed to his eyes. Shockingly she felt absolutely no nerves as he scanned her body, before lowering his warm lips to her already hardened nipple. The sensations ripped through her body in a way that left her panting for more, and instead of just asking, she was going into action. Her hands stretched between them, easily finding the edges of his boxer briefs.

She pushed them roughly from his hips; accidently catching his hardened member that resulted in a slight hiss of pain. Oddly the sound turned her on even further. It wasn't like she had damaged him, and, if his thrusting in search of friction was any sign, the mood wasn't ruined. She snickered at that thought and he raised an eyebrow. Instead of elaborating, she gently curled her small hand around him and gave one, firm stroke. A gasp escaped his lips and she smiled with lustfully. Causing such noises to escape his lips was something she had only ever dreamed of, and to actually hear them gave her goosebumps.

"Please, I need it." She had barely uttered the words when she felt her last article of clothing slide down her legs. For some reason she found herself thankful that she had shaved that very morning. The reason was confirmed for her when he placed his cheek on her inner thigh and released a warm puff of air against her most private areas. A loud sigh of pleasure passed her lips, and that appeared to be the only go ahead he needed. His tongue dived deep into her, and a moan so loud it may have woken the neighbors left her. He ran his moist tongue over her folds causing shivers of pleasure to escape her body. As she neared her climax he sucked in her small bundle of nerves. Soothing shocks ripped through her body repeatedly. He helped her ride out the orgasm before sliding up to face her.

She grinned lazily up at him before being lost in the throes of ecstasy. He slid his large hardness into her, and the fit was absolutely perfect. They froze for a moment, just enjoying the feel of perfection before he slid out and then slammed back into her. A scream of joy tore through her, encouraging him to pump harder and faster. As they grew closer to their climaxes they pulled tighter together and their movements became jerky. It was heaven. It was hell. The feelings were far too great, and the noises only added to their pleasure. A vision of white clouded their visions simultaneously, and then they just lay there. It would be a while before either of them spoke up.

After nearly an hour it was Elena that spoke up first. "We can't ever tell him. It can't ever happen again. It was perfect, and I had a blast, but this is it for us." A sad nod was Damon's only response. She wanted to reassure him, but it would have been a lie. She wasn't going to leave his brother for this. She wouldn't hurt Stefan like that.

Far too soon it was time for her to rise and face the days that would follow her perfect night. She didn't look back after she dressed, and when she pulled into her driveway she didn't cry though she felt like doing just that. Instead she put on a very fake smile, got out, trudged to her room; hopefully she wouldn't find her boyfriend there.

Luck was on her side, her room was deserted, and she quickly jumped into a shower. It wouldn't be long before he did show up, and she wasn't ready to face him smelling of his own brother and sex. He would figure it out without her assistance. Of that she had no doubt. The first time he saw them around each other he would notice the blush, the directed glances. It came with the territory of it all. The boyfriend always found out. It was that thought that made her realize what exactly she had done. Somehow she had done the one thing she promised herself she would never do. She had behaved as Katherine might have. She slept with his brother, and if he ever found out then she would have broken both of their hearts. As the water cascaded over her body, she recalled the events that had led to her night.

D?E?S

_They were both mentally and physically exhausted. After weeks of avoiding one another, they had been running through the trees for nearly three hours, and it wasn't even the enemy they had run from. Stefan had insisted that he wouldn't deal with them being alone, especially now that Elena was with him again, but somehow there they were, alone laughing and enjoying their time. The darkness managed to cover them just enough to stop anyone from seeing them, but the sound of Stefan calling out to Elena had them both sprinting in opposite directions. He must have seen her enter the mass of trees. It was some kind of miracle that he didn't sense Damon's presence as well._

"_Elena, love, where are you?" His voice grew louder with each pounding step she took, but obviously, being human, she couldn't outrun a vampire. He was upon her without much trouble, and she laughed openly. At first he gave her a strange look, but she was too busy laughing off the adrenaline to notice._

"_I knew you'd find me, Stefan. After all, it's a major part of a good game of hide and seeks." Laughing again, she hoped that he didn't detect the slight stirring in her voice. The tremble that announced loudly, 'we were alone together even though you've asked us not to were side by side, laughing and holding hands. We might have even kissed if given the opportunity'._

_Fortunately he did not sense the discomfort in her voice. He chuckled and lifted her into his arms, bridal style. "I actually can't play right now. I have to run to Boston for a couple of days. If I'm timing it right, I should be back by around 2 A.M on Sunday... Will you be okay without me?" She met his eyes with shock and a hint of fear._

"_You're going to leave me here, unprotected? Stefan, Klaus is still out there. What if he chooses tonight, tomorrow night, to murder me?" It was a legitimate fear, though her subconscious was screaming something at her._

"_Of course I'm not leaving you alone. I… I actually asked Damon to watch over you." She felt her face pale. Had he decided to trust his brother or even to trust her? Either way, it was nice to know that she could again be around her friend. Even it was only for a couple of nights, "I warned him to keep his hands off of you, and I also told him that I would kill him if he so much as dreamt of doing otherwise." Yeah, so much for trust… this was just his way of saying, do something, and someone might die. It wasn't about trust. It was a game to see how daring they were._

_In a simple matter of minutes she was back in the boarding house, and Stefan was off, without so much as farewells kiss, swearing it would make it harder for him to leave her. She didn't argue, but deep down inside, she knew that wasn't the case. He had hardly touched her in a month, and she had the strangest feeling it had to do with their initial argument about her friendship with Damon. She had sworn she would never look at him the same if he didn't learn to trust her. Unfortunately he seemed to be offended. Or, perhaps, he had taken the angry words to heart._

_Her thoughts of Stefan and Damon gave her a typical headache. The two men swirled into a confusing ball of emotions. It wasn't an enjoyable thing, being in love with the brothers. She found her way to the bar in their living area and started in search of the bourbon. She desperately needed a drink, and she didn't see that this would hurt anything. A shot to cool her thoughts to a simple rampage instead of the massacre she was currently experiencing._

"_They say that alcohol only buries the problems. They'll just be back with a hangover the next day. Are you willing to take that risk?" Damon's voice was more laughter than serious at the moment. For that reason she decided to go ahead and pour herself a shot. She swallowed it bravely, and was surprised at the light burn in the back of her throat. _

"_Oh, wow." She choked around the strange feeling. Beer was completely different than the stuff she had just ingested. Damon laughed lightly from behind her. She tried her hardest to ignore him._

"_Different, isn't it? Being around one another? Ever since Saint Stefan decided he didn't like us together you've avoided me like the plague. Does drinking my bourbon change our relationship?" She glanced in his direction to find him shuffling through a nearby bookshelf. He wasn't any more willing to look at her than she was him. Was it really only an hour ago that they had held hands in the forest? So much seemed different for some reason._

"_Damon, can we talk?" She barely whispered the words. It was no secret that they possessed feeling for one another, and they really needed to confront those emotions. He just snickered outright. He brushed past her and poured his own glass of bourbon. He downed the entire glass and poured a second before replying._

"_Yeah, let's talk Elena. Where to start? With you ignoring my calls or outright avoiding me; even when you're in my house? Or would you rather talk about how we were this close…" He held two fingers up. They were less than an inch apart. "…From being everything you think you are with Stefan?" His words were sharper than most daggers, but still unbelievably true. She rolled over the past month in her head and realized with a pitiful jolt that it was exactly that bad. She had gone out of her way to keep Stefan happy, but in the process she had managed to hurt her friend._

"_I'm sorry. I never asked for these feelings. I never asked to fall for brothers." She bit her lip nervously. "I did though and now it's hurting you both, but you more than Stefan." Tears gathered in her eyes and she stepped cautiously forward. Surely he knew how bad it killed her to hurt them. Surely he saw her breaking apart. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'd understand if you both hated me, but for some reason you don't." _

"_Don't think I don't see that. What I don't see is why you chose him!" He glowered at a spot on the floor, refusing to meet Elena's gaze. "He hurt you so much Elena and I was there! Yes, I killed your brother, but that was so long ago! You forgave me for that. You drew me in with your ridiculous levels of charm, and then when I finally had you… Well you changed your mind! I don't understand. It was less than a month ago that you kissed me!" Tears gathered in his eyes, and she couldn't help the overwhelming urge to place her lips against his._

"_Damon, I'm so sorry that I hurt you. That was never my intention. Can't you forgive me, so that we can read a book together, or watch one of your movies, or even just talk. I miss you, Damon…" The words continued tumbling from her lips, and with each syllable spoken his eyes widened. He saw what she tried, so passionately, to hide. _

_His hands touched her face before she fell silent, and then they simply stared in one another's eyes. It all made sense with that look. All of their raw kisses, all of their longing looks, even Elena giving up on it. That one moment explained the pure love and need they felt for one another. It explained why they couldn't have it. With a quick breath, Elena leaned in, and their lips collided together…_

D?E?S?

She wasn't exactly sure when her memories turned into a light doze, but she woke to a cold spray around her. She could sense that it was early dawn and it took all of her strength to climb from the bottom of the tub, where she must have fallen. Her entire body was stiff; through from sex or falling she was unsure. A light tap on the door in her room told her someone other than herself was awake. A muffled voice asked if she was okay.

"Yeah, just give me one moment. I need to get dressed." She frowned for a fraction of a second. She wasn't sure if it would be her brother or one of the Salvatore boys on the other side of the door. Jeremy almost never raised that early, and Stefan was supposed to be out of town. She worried about it being Damon. He wouldn't show up with flowers and chocolate if it was him.

The door opened to reveal blonde hair and emerald green eyes that left her nervous about her scent. She may have spent the night under a stream of water, but it wasn't necessarily enough to hide the smell of pleasure.

His warm smile soothed her nerves and she pushed away her irrational thought pattern. Of course nearly 3 hours in the shower would rid her of his brother's smells. Fighting the urge to hide from him she smiled up toward him, "Stefan! You're back early! It's just been a few hours and you suggested that it would be a couple of days." For a second she thought she saw his smile falter, but then it was back, and radiant as ever.

"Yeah, I uh… I found what I left after. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I've been here for nearly an hour, and you were in the bathroom the whole time. You aren't sick, are you?" His eyes scanned over her unclad body. Did he see anything different? Was her skin a different shade? Had his brother left any hickies?

"Wh- What did you go after?" She managed to stammer. She was so nervous that there would be some sign of the events of the evening. Her thoughts were processing slower than usual, so it took her a moment to notice that he shook his head. She raised one dark eyebrow at him.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Oh how my heart would shatter if I had to do that. So I simply cannot tell you." She nearly rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt to impress her with his poetic statement. In all reality, she simply was not in the mood for charm. Between the two Salvatore's, she'd had enough charm to last her a lifetime.

"Well, in that case, I guess I can live without knowing." A forced sigh left her lips and she dragged herself to her pajama drawer. In it would be a t-shirt of Stefan's and a pair of underwear. She didn't feel nearly rested enough.

"Oh, you'll know. Just not now." He attempted to smirk, and Elena was again reminded of how jealous he had become of Damon since his return. She wondered idly why he was suddenly so determined to be like his older brother.

Before she could come to a decisive conclusion he tore her from her thoughts, "I was thinking we could have a barbeque or something at the boarding house on Friday. You invite anyone you want there, and I'll be sure to cook enough steak to fill everyone to bursting." His smile was so hopeful, as if his entire life rested on the idea of the meal. It would only be about three days away, but she figured she could handle that.

"I think that sounds wonderful." She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards her bed, "I fell asleep in the shower. That's why I was in there so long. I really need some good sleep though. Will you please cuddle with me?" She didn't wait for a response. Instead she dragged into her bed and soon enough felt Stefan climb in beside her. She was asleep before he could get comfortable.


End file.
